From Rags to Riches
by LoveMeDead19
Summary: Life at the Dursley's is a living hell for Harry Potter. He's abused every day. All he ever wanted was for someone to love him and take care of him. He had given up hope of that happening until one day two mysterious strangers show up on his doorstep and pronounce him the heir to the Riddle fortune. Harry's life is about to change, but for better or worse? AU, SLASH, NON-MAGIC
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello and Welcome to my first ever story on ! (OMG I'm hyperventilating, I'm so nervous right now!) So anyways like I said this is my first story so please Please PLEASE go easy on me.**

**First of all, please forgive me for the cliché title but I really couldn't think of anything else. I promise the story will be better than it sounds though!**

**This story will mostly be about the relationship between Harry and Tom, although I haven't figured out what that relationship will be yet. THERE WILL BE SLASH! Mush later on but just know it will be there so if that's not your thing then hit the back button now. There will also be other pairings, but like I said I haven't really figured out who will be with who yet. Just know that most of them will be homo and not hetero. This story also doesn't have a beta so I'm sure there are a bunch of grammatical errors. I apologize for any you find but please try to overlook them. **

**If you like anything about the story or if you have any constructive criticism, then I would very much appreciate your feedback. I do not however, appreciate flames and any that I receive will be used to roast marshmallows and weenies and then thoroughly extinguished because Smoky the Bear said so!**

**I think I've wasted enough of your time so yeah...read and review please!**

**From Rags to Riches**

**Chapter 1: Another Day in Hell**

_Dreams_

'Thoughts'

"Dialogue"

_The soft sound of birds chirping floated through the air as sunlight trickled through the leaves of the tree that Harry sat beneath. He lifted his hands to the sky and felt the warmth of the rays mixed with the cool sensation of the wind. The young boy looked out onto the vast field of long grass and enjoyed the peace of the moment.__Leaning his head back onto the trunk of the tree, he closed his eyes for only a second and when he opened them he was met with the sight of the most beautiful women he had ever seen kneeling in front of him. She had gorgeous, flowing auburn hair and a smile that seemed to take the place of the sun, it was so bright. But the most surprising of her features, were the glowing emerald eyes that seemed to mirror his perfectly. She opened her mouth to speak but even though her mouth moved no words came out. Confused, harry tried to lean towards her to hear her but found he couldn't move. The woman continued to speak her silent words and when it looked like she was finished she got up and started to walk away. Suddenly everything went dark and a cold chill ran up Harry's spine. He had no idea who this woman was but he didn't want her to leave. If she left then he would never feel the warmth of the sun again, he just knew it. With fear and dread coursing through his body, he forced himself to his feet and ran after the women but no matter how far or how fast he ran, she just moved further and further away. Finally, she stopped in front of a doorway that Harry swore wasn't there before and opened it. Standing on the other side was a strong looking man with messy raven hair and glasses. He had kind eyes and a mischievous air about him. The man smiled a joyful smile at her and then took her hand. 'They're going to disappear through that door' Harry thought 'and they're never going to come back. Faster, I have to run faster!' The raven haired man began to pull the woman into the room on the other side of the door, all the while staring lovingly at her. They stepped through the door together and slowly it began to close. Harry got to the door just as it clicked shut. He pulled on the knob, desperately trying to get it open again but to no avail, it was locked. As tears streamed down his face he banged on the door, hoping that the man and woman would hear him and come back, hoping that they wouldn't disappear forever. Feeling cold and empty he sank to the floor and yelled in a broken voice 'MOM, DAD, DON'T GO!'_

Harry woke with a start, drenched in sweat, and tears rolling down his face. The sound of banging on his cupboard door traveled to him, along with a trill voice screaming at him to get up and cook breakfast. He took a moment to survey his surroundings and realized he had woken to another day of hell in the Dursley household. It was currently 7 o'clock Saturday morning, the time that Petunia always came down in order to unlock his cupboard so that he could fix breakfast for her darling family. Usually Harry woke up early and was ready to go by the time she unlocked the door, but today was one of the rare days that he overslept. 'Maybe it was because of that weird dream' he thought, trying to remember it even though it was already fading from his memory. Harry jumped when Aunt Petunia hit the door extra hard and demanded that he come out immediately. With a soft sigh, the small boy grabbed his clothes for the day, crawled off of his cot and out of the door to his "room". He was greeted with the sight of Aunt Petunia staring down her nose at him with a disgusted and impatient look.

"Well boy are you going to cook breakfast of are you going to make us wait while you laze around all morning?!" she demanded, lifting her nose up into the air as high as it could possibly go while still pinning him with her glare (which harry had to admit was pretty impressive actually.)

"No Aunt Petunia, right away Aunt Petunia." He recited in a monotone voice. He quickly walked to the bathroom to relieve his bladder and change his clothes. He went through his morning routine of washing his face and brushing his teeth and would have taken a short shower if he thought that his Aunt was patient enough to wait a few more minutes (but fortunately he knew better). After trying in vain to get his messy raven locks under control, he gave up with a frustrated puff of air and exited the bathroom.

The small boy cried out in shock, as he was harshly pushed into the wall and landed in an ungraceful heap on the ground. Apparently Dudley wanted to give him his usual morning greeting. Harry glared at the ground as Dudley stood over him and laughed in an obnoxious way.

"Watch where you're going freak!" he barked at him, waddling his way into the kitchen.

Harry sat there for a few seconds, trying to get a grip on his anger. He curled his hands into fists, the nails digging in so deep that they left tiny crescent shapes on his palms. 'If only I could…' he started to think but immediately banished the thought from his mind. If he dared to fight back or even appear defiant, he would have to deal with Vernon or Petunia, and as cruel as Dudley could be, he couldn't compare to his parents. He didn't know if he could deal with another whipping or frying pan to the head after his last punishment two days ago. With great self-control, harry managed to swallow the anger and bitterness that threatened to envelope him. With emotionless eyes and a blank demeanor, the raven walked into the kitchen and started to cook breakfast for the Dursley's. Ever since he could remember, he had been doing the cooking, even when he was so short that he had to stand on a stool just to reach the stove. He was tall enough to reach the stove on his own now, but just barely, and he still had to strain to reach the back burners.

The small boy went to the refrigerator and got out six eggs and a pack of bacon. He cracked the eggs into one skillet and laid twelve strips of bacon down in another one. The heavenly sent of cooking food evaded his senses and he couldn't help but hope that the Dursley's wouldn't finish their meal so that he could sneak the leftovers while he cleaned the table, but he highly doubted it; the Dursley's always finished their meals. He went to get the bread and started toasting six pieces and when that was done started on Aunt petunia's porridge. His Aunt never ate more than a small bowl of porridge and some fruit in the morning. 'In order to keep my beautiful figure' she always claimed which harry grimaced at (there was nothing beautiful about his horse of an Aunt).

The food looked so appetizing and smelled so heavenly that Harry considered taking a little bacon and some eggs. The memory of what had happened to him when he tried that last time stilled his hand. Even though the wound had been healed for a long time, his chest burned as he remembered that horrible day.

By the time Harry had finished setting the table and was preparing it with food, Vernon finally appeared, shuffling into the room and demanding a strong cup of coffee. Harry quickly bustled to prepare the drink, knowing that his Uncle was twice as nasty when he hadn't had his first cup of Joe.

Petunia called Dudley into the kitchen from where he had been sitting in front of the television watching his Saturday morning cartoons. The small whale that was his cousin came bustling into the room and plopped down into the seat. the chair gave an ominous creak as if about to crumple under the weight. Fortunately (or unfortunately in Harry's case) the chair stayed standing on its four legs. With all of the Dursley's situated at the table, Harry brought over the last of the food and Vernon's cup of coffee.

"About time boy." Vernon sneered at him, placing the morning paper on the table and gulping down the steaming liquid.

With his job now complete, Harry went to stand in the corner and wait for the Dursley's to finish so he could get his list of chores from Aunt Petunia. Usually he didn't have that many chores during the weekday as he had to go to school, but during the weekends he was expected to clean the whole house. The small boy just hoped that today Petunia would give him some food before he started his chores or he was afraid he would collapse from hunger. He hadn't eaten in nearly two and a half days, ever since he had accidently kicked Dudley in the leg when he and his friends had tried to beat him up. His uncle had punished him severely for that and ever since he had felt terribly sick. His forehead was often hot and his vision swam in and out sometimes. He knew there were several open wounds on his back and could only hope that none of them were infected, but as long as he didn't think about it he could ignore the heat coursing through his body. He turned his attention to his uncle who was talking to his aunt about some promotion at work.

"It's a wonderful opportunity my pet. I'll be making twice as much as I do now and I'll be getting more vacation time, so we can go to that place you always wanted to visit. I'm practically guaranteed the job!" Vernon exclaimed, spittle and food flying hallway across the table.

"That's wonderful dear. And then maybe we can afford to put Dudley into that nice, big private school on the other side of town." Petunia replied, smiling in a way that made it look like she was sucking on a lemon. "Wouldn't you like that sweetheart!" Petunia cooed at Dudley pinching his cheek as he nodded once and then continued to inhale his food.

As soon as Dudley was finished with his food, he turned to his father and demanded money for movies and snacks. Vernon smiled proudly at his son, as if he had just told him that he had won the Nobel Prize. Vernon handed over a considerable amount of money as Petunia continued to smother Dudley with loving words and kisses before he walked out of the room (presumably to go watch television and eat more snacks until his gang arrived).

Petunia's eyes, which had stared lovingly at her child, turned cold in an instant as they turned to the small raven haired boy.

"Well boy, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and clean the table!" she screeched at him in her nasally voice. She walked over to a cabinet and got out some stale bread and then walked to the refrigerator to retrieve some nearly molded cheese and a half rotten apple. After she was done she pushed the items into Harry's arms. "Eat this and then get started on your chores, the list is on the table." Petunia instructed, giving him one last disgusted look before leaving the room.

Knowing fully well that he wasn't allowed to sit on the furniture, Harry went over to the counter and devoured the food like a starving man (or staring kid in this case). With the last bite, his stomach gave a content rumble and then finally settled down. The raven haired boy stared down at the counter as he thought about the disgusted looks that his "family" always gave him. He knew that the Dursley's hated him. They had always told him that they hated him because his parents were useless, selfish, drunken bums who killed themselves and an innocent family in a car accident when Harry had just been a year and a half old. According to the Dursley's, Harry hadn't been in the car because his parents had decided to abandon him and had never truly loved him. The Dursley's always said that they could tell he would become just like his parents and so they had to punish him for the crimes he would commit in the future.

Harry believed the Dursley's completely and often felt guilty about what his parents had done and frightened of what he would do one day, but that didn't keep him from feeling angry and bitter each and every time the Dursley's mistreated him. When he was smaller, he used to be jealous of Dudley and all of the love and affection he received, but he now realized that he would rather be poor and neglected then fat, arrogant, lazy and rotten like his cousin.

He had often wished, years ago, that the man and woman he saw in his dreams were really his parents and that they would come to get him and tell him that they loved him and hadn't abandoned him, but he knew they couldn't be his parents since the Dursley's always said his parents had been ugly and disgusting. But it didn't have to be the man and woman. Harry just wanted someone, anyone, who was willing to love him. He wanted someone to hug him and praise him and comfort him. That was what he had always wished for. However, he had lost his hope a while ago and had accepted reality.

The young boy quickly rubbed his eyes where tears were threatening to fall and pushed the depressing thoughts from his mind. He went back to the kitchen table to clear the rest of the dishes and afterwards begin his chores. Harry had almost managed to forget about the terrible heat thrumming through his body and making his head fuzzy, but the heat spiked and for a second everything went black. The sound of shattering glass rang through his consciousness and a feeling of dread surrounded him. Harry hurriedly forced his eyes open and realized that he was leaning on the counter top. Two plates and a cup lay broken at his feet.

"What's going on in there boy?!" Uncle Vernon yelled from the family room as he got up to investigate the noise.

The small boy began to tremble as white hot fear plunged into his stomach like a bag of bricks. He hadn't dropped a single plate in the Dursley house since he was four years old. He grew nauseous as he remembered the cracking sound of his ankle breaking when his uncle had punished him for it. He could only imagine that this time would be worse, much worse.

He wanted to run but found his legs rooted to the spot as Vernon came into the kitchen and saw the broken dishes. Fury transformed his features to something grotesque as his face went from a glowing red to an angry puce. With steps much too quick for a man of his size, Vernon crossed the room and seized the trembling boy by his oversized shirt.

"YOU UNGREATFUL FREAK!" Vernon bellowed in Harry's face slapping the boy with his meaty hand. "WE FEED YOU, CLOTH YOU, AND GIVE YOU A WARM PLACE TO SLEEP AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY US?! BY DESTROYING OUR THINGS?!"

Harry's eyes widened as he took in the rage etched on his uncle's face. He hadn't seen the man this angry in a very long time and he instantly knew that after his punishment he wouldn't be able to walk for a week.

With a cruel and twisted smile on his face, Vernon leaned down and whispered in Harry's ear "I'm going to teach you a lesson that you will not soon forget."

Vernon grasped the boys arm and waddled out of the room, Harry stumbling along behind him. He headed for the stairs and the raven knew what was coming. Vernon would take him to _that _room and whip him with the belt until his back was a maze of long oozing gashes. Resigning himself to his fate, Harry prepared to completely erase his mind, the only defense against his uncle's brutality. Vernon was almost to the stairs when the sound of the doorbell rang through the house. Petunia froze in her seat where she had been observing the incident with uncaring eyes. Dudley looked disappointed that the punishment had been interrupted and Vernon looked torn between answering the door or just ignoring it and continuing with the beating. The doorbell rang a second time and Vernon gave an irritated sigh before walking to the cupboard and violently throwing the small boy inside.

"I'll deal with you later!" he promised before slamming the tiny door and locking it from the outside. The doorbell rang a third time and with an annoyed look on his face, Vernon went to the door and pulled it open.

"Can I help you?" he asked with a sour attitude.

"I believe you can" a haughty voice answered more civilly "is this the residence of Harry James Potter?"

**Yay! Chapter One of FRTR completed! Now all I need are some reviews to give me the determination and confidence to continue with this story *Looks at readers with huge pleading eyes***


	2. Chapter 2: No More Mister Nice Guy

**AN: This chapter is dedicated to *The Dark Lady55* for being the first person to review my first story :)! Thank you so much everyone who reviewed! You really inspired me to hurry up and write and new chapter and so here it is!**

**The Dark Lady55: I can not thank you enough for your support!**

**Miss888: No I didn't but one of my close friends did**

**littlewolfwindspeaker: I tried to make this chapter a little more violent just for you! Hope you enjoy! ;)**

**FraggleGaggles: I'm happy you think so!**

**WARNING: this chapter does get a bit violent and there is a tinsy wincy bit of bad language. **

**So here it is...hope you enjoy! :)**

A sleek, black, stretch limousine cruised down the road and came to a smooth stop at a nearby red-light. The two passengers in the back seat sat quietly, surveying the documents in their laps and going over the file of a certain raven haired child over and over again. The file didn't provide much information, in fact they knew little about the boy they had been ordered to retrieve. To think that their boss would take interest in a mere child when he found everything else tedious and dull, it was absurd.

The first passenger, a man with smooth white blond hair that came to his middle back and aristocratic features, put the papers down a frustrated sigh. The second passenger was a man with glossy black hair that hung to his shoulders. His most distinguished feature was his hooked nose which indicated that he had been in a more than one fight throughout his lifetime. The raven haired man cocked an eyebrow at the annoyed sound but otherwise kept his eyes on the documents he was currently reading. He had no intention of indulging the blond man.

'He probably just wants to complain about the assignment yet again.' The raven thought as he tried valiantly to ignore the stare he could feel digging into his side, making him want to look up and meet those molten grey eyes. He held out for a few seconds before he let out a heavy sigh of his own and let his eyes abandon the documents he had been pretending to read.

"What do you want Lucius?" he asked in a weary voice, staring into grey eyes that demanded answers which he didn't have.

"Tell me Severus" the blond drawled in his usual haughty tone "why must I accompany you on this simple task. After all, it should only take one of us to acquire the boy and bring him to the boss." He said in a voice that seemed composed but Severus knew the blond was really sulking on the inside.

"You must accompany me Lucius" the man replied, bringing his hands to his temple and massaging away the headache that threatened to form "because the boss ordered it and the boss's orders are final. I believe he placed you on this assignment because you are very experienced when it comes to legal matters. Not to mention you are one of his most trusted inner circle members." Severus complimented, hoping the praise would shut the blond up.

As if on cue, Lucius's chest puffed out and his nose rose several inches in the air. Severus rolled his eyes. The man was so easy to manipulate if you just complimented him the right way (although he supposed that was one of his cuter features).The raven went back to the documents, scanning over them once again. They would be at the house in a few minutes and Severus wanted to make sure that everything went smoothly. The guardians would probably hesitate to hand the boy over quietly and might even make a big fuss. This was an assignment that he was sure he wouldn't like.

Finished with the page he was currently on, he moved it to the back and found himself faced with the boys file yet again. He tried to ignore it, but couldn't help feeling that there was something strange about the boy's history. His medical records were lacking and the few records that were there said that the boy was prone to anemia and was weak natured. Severus couldn't help but wonder if the boy was so weak, why didn't he go to the doctor more often? One report that stuck in his mind was when the boy was only four years old and had broken his ankle. The report said that by the time the boy was taken to the hospital, the ankle was thoroughly swollen and on the verge of infection. Severus was curious as to how a boy so young would have broken his ankle in the first place and why it had taken the family so long to treat it.

'Maybe…' he thought but immediately banished the thought from his head. Young boys were always running around and getting into trouble and if he was anything like his trouble maker of a father, he probably got hurt pretty oftenand his guardians, being used to it, probably thought they could handle the wound themselves. Severus continued with the file and stumbled across something else that puzzled him. The child had been in school for two years now and was currently in the first grade. His scores were horrible and he was ranked last in the class. At first glance it would seem as if the boy was daft but when it came to aptitude tests and benchmarks, the child always ranked first in the class, far exceeding his other classmates.

'Why would the boy want to seem unintelligent?' Severus pondered, trying to figure out the puzzle that was Harry Potter.

"Still though" Lucius whispered almost to himself, interrupting Severus's train of thought "why is this boy so important to the boss? Why did he go through so much effort for the child?"

The raven haired man looked out of the window and contemplated the questions himself. In truth, he had no idea why the boss would take so much interest in the spawn of the arrogant Potter and one of his closest friends Lily. As far as he knew, the man had never liked Potter much in the first place. It made him wonder what had happened between the obnoxious fool and their boss that they didn't know about.

Severus's thoughts were interrupted once again as the limo screeched to a stop in front of number four privet drive. He sneered at the uniformity of the neighborhood. All of the houses, cars, and yards seemed to be completely identical, the only distinguishing feature being the numbers that hung outside of each door. 'How anyone could stand living in a dull place such as this I will never know.'

'I guess this is it' he thought gathering the documents into a folder and stepping out of the limo after the blond. He smoothed the wrinkeles out of his suit and straightened his tie, then followed Lucius to the front door and rang the bell. He waited for about a minute but when no one answered he rang it again. Another minute passed and he could tell that Lucius was becoming exasperated with having to wait. He was proven right when the blond reached over him and rang the doorbell a third time. This time the door was answered after only a few seconds. Both men were unpleasantly surprised when the door opened to reveal what seemed to be a walrus shaped like a man. He was huge and nearly bursting out of his clothes. His face was a bright red and he had annoyed look on his face.

"Can I help you" he demanded more than asked in a bellowing voice.

Lucius slipped a civil mask onto his face but Severus could see that the blond was utterly disgusted with the man's physical appearance and attitude. The raven knew that if it weren't for the boss's orders, the blond would probably insult the man before walking away to 'disinfect' himself.

"I believe you can" Lucius replied in a haughty manner "is this the residence of Harry James Potter?"

The man's eyes widened at the mention of the boy's name and his posture became unsure.

"Who wants to know?" he demanded, standing up straighter in an attempt to make himself more intimidating.

"Mr. Dursley" Lucius retorted, authority dripping from his voice "perhaps you would be so kind as to invite us in so we can discuss this under more comfortable circimstances."

Dursley hesitated for a moment, but in the end gave up and stepped aside to let the two strangers into his home. The two men swept into the house gracefully and surreptitiously took in the surroundings. It was a pretty nice house, all things considered, very neat and very clean. There were pictures hanging on the walls and displayed on the mantle. Severus took a moment to study all the pictures and was shocked to find that the only child depicted was the overweight whale currently taking up half of the sofa and watching television. Where was the other child, the boy named Harry?

Before he could contemplate any longer, a skinny (bordering on anorexic) woman with the face of a horse bustled over to them, swaying her hips in a way that she probably thought attractive but was most certainly not.

"Hello" she greeted with a smile that reminded Severus of curdled milk. "My name is Petunia Dursley and this is my husband Vernon and my son Dudley. To what do we owe the pleasure?"

'This is Lily's sister?' Severus thought with a sneer while reaching out to take her offered hand.

"Hello Mrs. Dursley. My name is Severus Snape and this is my colleague Lucius Malfoy. We come on behalf of our employer Tom Riddle to inform you that as of today Harry James Potter has been adopted by Mr. Riddle and will be his charge."

Lucius watched the woman's face change from polite, to nervous to panicky all in the span of a few seconds. He truly smiled as he reveled in her discomfort.

"This must be some kind of mistake" she responded with a shaky smile. "We are the boy's guardians, it was in Lily's will!"

"That may be true" Lucius replied "however a letter was found in the potter household that specifically stated that Harry was not to be left with you and your husband. Furthermore, it has been discovered that the funds left for Harry disappeared a long time ago and yet none of it was spent on the child."

"Now you wait just one second!" Vernon growled as he approached the two "it's none of your business how we spent that money! I will not stand for this disrespect in my own…"

"It is our business Mr. Dursley" Severus smoothly interrupted "when the money was not yours to spend. That money was set aside by James and Lily for Harry's education and was meant to put him through private school."

"As we've already stated" Lucius continued before the fat pig could open his mouth again "We have legal documentation that you are no longer guardians of the boy, so if you will retrieve him we will have you sign some release papers and then be on our way."

"You mean the freaks leaving?!" Dudley inquired in an excited tone from his position on the couch.

"Dudley!" Petunia reprimanded in a tense voice "why don't you go outside and play for a bit." She suggested, gesturing to the back door.

"But I don't want…"

"Dudley go now!" Petunia demanded in a shrill voice.

The boy slide off the couch with an aggravated look on his face and promptly left through the back door, slamming it on the way out. Petunia looked back at the two men with what she probably thought was a sweet smile.

"Children say the strangest things don't they? But I suppose boys will be boys." Petunia stated with an ugly laugh. Lucius narrowed his eyes at the woman, his face growing cold and hard.

"Mrs. Dursley, if you would like to go over the documents to check their authenticity then please do so quickly. I am growing tired of these games and I wish to leave this ghastly house as soon as possible." Severus sighed as he observed the look of utter shock etched on the woman's face. But he knew that Lucius's temper had been building up ever since he stepped foot in the house. One could only push Lucius so far before he exploded and it was never pretty when he did. Severus could only hope that he wouldn't….

"NOW SEE HERE!" Vernon bellowed storming towards Lucius in a furious way "DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK TO MY WIFE THAT WAY!"

Lucius reacted fast as lightning, pulling a metal object out of his clean crisp suit and pointing it at Dursley. Severus shook his head in disappointment. They were supposed to be doing things the clean way today, but that was all down the gutter now. He pulled out his own gun and aimed it at Petunia, instructing her to sit on the couch. Lucius did the same and soon the couple were cowering on the couch together.

"Now you listen Dursley" Lucius spat at the man in rage "I will give ten seconds to tell me where Harry Potter is before I blow you and your wife's brains out."

The raven haired man cocked an eyebrow at the overly violent threat. Lucius was furious at the moment, meaning the day would probably end in blood shed.

"Raising a gun to me in my own home!" Vernon shouted, spittle flying across the room as Petunia trembled and crying nosily beside him. Lucius approached the man and placed the gun directly on his head.

"You're either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid Dursley. Now you only have five seconds to tell me where the boy is before I decorate this house with your blood." Lucius stated, a cruel smile fixed on his face.

"GO TO HELL!" the overweight man yelled spitting at the blonds feet. Lucius's face morphed to cold fury before it went completely calm.

"So it's the second one huh?" he stated right before he cocked his arm all the way back and hit Dursley in the head with the hilt as hard as he could. Vernon fell over onto his wife in an unconscious heap, blood gushing from his forehead. Petunia began to scream her husband's name as she quivered in fear, tears streaming down her cheeks like rivers. The two men turned to the back door as it opened and Dudley waddled in with an air of arrogance.

"Mom I'm tired of waiting out…" he yelled as he made his way into the living room. The oversized child froze in horror as he took in the sight of his unconscious father, his sobbing mother, and the two strangers with guns.

"Maybe the boy knows where Potter is" Severus speculated, striding over to him and leading him to where his parents set.

"Kid if you know where your cousin is, you better tell us before mommy here gets a new whole in her head." Lucius said, pointing the gun at the wreck of a woman. The boy trembled before pointing to a small cupboard in the middle of the hall. Lucius looked at the door in confusion before turning furious eyes on the boy.

"Do you think this is a game?!" he demanded cocking his gun and preparing to shoot.

"No I'm telling the truth!" the boy yelled, shaking like a leaf. "That's where the freak sleeps!"

Severus and Lucius stared at each other in horror before running over to the tiny cupboard and throwing it open.

**Poor Dursley's :( Just kidding! They got exactly what they deserved and their going to get a lot worse if I have anything to say about it (and I do)!**

**Again, if you liked anything about the chapter, or see a way that I can improve my writing, please leave a review. Reviews are like chocolate, without them the world would be a very dark place. Review and I'll give you a piece of my heart to keep forever *takes out scalpel and aims it at chest*  
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	3. Chapter 3: A Real Family

**AN: Hello again everyone! So I thought about it for a while and I figured out at least one of the main couples that will be in this story (if you haven't already figured it out, then you'll see it later on in the story). I'm still a little confused as to where this story is going, but the chapters kind of seem to write themselves. I'm thinking that I'll do a few more chapters of Harry as a kid and then skip to adult!Harry...but idk. So yeah, if you have any ideas on where you think this story should go then I would love to hear them!  
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**RabitNut:**** Thank you so much, my writing style has never been described that way *Blushes and looks at floor nervously*  
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**Miss888:**** Thanks for catching that! The only problem is I have no idea how to change it...I hope you like this chapter!**

**Eve88:**** Thanks! :)**

**The Dark Lady55:**** I tried to create a Lucius who is more down to earth, although he'll still be pretty stuck up some times.**

**toolazytoobored:**** I didn't think their were enough non-magic stories out there, so I decided to contribute! :) P.S. I love your username!**

**Stardust of Orion: I'm glad you decided to give it a try! I promise the reason will shock you so keep on reading!**

**Chapter 3: A Real Family**

Previously:

"_Kid if you know where your cousin is, you better tell us before mommy here gets a new hole in her head." Lucius said, pointing the gun at the wreck of a woman. The boy trembled before pointing to a small cupboard in the middle of the hall. Lucius looked at the door in confusion before turning furious eyes on the boy._

"_Do you think this is a game?!" he demanded cocking his gun and preparing to shoot._

"_No I'm telling the truth!" the boy yelled, shaking like a leaf. "That's where the freak sleeps!"_

_Severus and Lucius stared at each other in horror before running over to the tiny cupboard and throwing it open._

Severus took out the mini flashlight that he always carried with him and aimed it into the darkness of the tiny room. Upon first inspection, it would appear that no one was in the cupboard after all. A small cot took up most of the enclosed space along with a bucket in one corner and a stack of worn out clothes in the other. Colorful drawings decorated the walls and a single sign drawn in sloppy handwriting on the door read "Harry's Room". Severus's eyes wondered back to the cot. He saw what appeared to be a lump of old, dirty blankets, but upon further inspection, Severus could see tiny tremors coming from within. The Raven haired man tapped Lucius's arm lightly with his hand and then silently motioned to the dirty pile. The blonds eyes widened as he watched the pile with concern filled eyes.

"What do we do now?" Lucius whispered to his partner, looking more lost and upset then Severus had ever seen him.

"First things first" the raven responded, reaching out to give the blonds hand a soft squeeze "we have to get him to come out by himself. If we touch him, it'll just terrify him further and we don't want him to have some kind of panic attack."

Severus knelt in front of the cupboard door, getting into a more comfortable position; after all this could take a while. "I'll try to get him to come out. You go take care of them." He motioned with his head to the trembling mother and son that sat sobbing together on the couch. "Have her sign the papers so we can get out of here as soon as possible."

Lucius nodded his head before standing up and walking over to the couch with a harsh expression. Severus turned his eyes to the trembling heap and heaved a mental sigh. To think his suspicions would be confirmed in the most horrible way.

"Mr. Potter…Harry" he whispered to the young boy, hoping that if he kept his voice soft enough, he wouldn't scare him. "I don't know how much you heard of the conversation between us but my name is Severus Snape and my associates name is Lucius Malfoy. You may not believe this, but we mean you no harm. We've been sent here by your new guardian to pick you up. He spent years fighting the legal system in order to adopt you, and know he wants you to come and live in his home." The change wasn't immediately apparent, but Severus could see the tremors slowly begin to dissipate. The mound of sheets shifted, as if the boy was turning around in order to hear his words more clearly. "Mr. Potter, if you come with us then we can take you away from this house and you'll never be hurt like this again. If you come with us we'll keep you safe, I promise."

By now, the boy was sitting up straight, the covers still wrapped around him like a security blanket. His head of unruly raven hair poked out the top of the blanket and Severus could just make out two emerald green eyes staring back at him. He gasped at the familiarity of those eyes and the feelings that came with them. When Lily had been alive she had been one of his closest friends and he had loved her like a sister. Feelings of sadness and regret filled him at the thought that he hadn't been able to keep her safe. At that moment, determination flooded through him. He hadn't been able to protect her, but he would protect her child with his life.

The small child pulled the blanket down even further and with a broken voice whispered "Someone wants me?"

Severus's heart clenched at the innocent question. He smiled warmly at the boy as he slowly extended his hand until it was a few inches from the boy.

"Yes" he replied "He does want you. He wants you to live with him and become a part of his family." Harry's glowing green eyes widened with wonder and disbelief.

"Family? You mean….like a real one? "

"Yes. Take my hand and I'll bring you to your new family." Harry hesitated for a moment before taking the hand offered to him. He thought that he had already given up on the dream of a family that would love him, but found he couldn't pass up the chance.

At first when the two men had arrived and started asking for him, he had been terrified that the Dursley's had been right about him being a bad person and they were there to take him away to a place for bad people. He had tried to listen to the full conversation, but his head was still fuzzy from the heat coursing through his small body and it had even started to ache (although that may have been from when he hit his head on the cot when Uncle Vernon threw him into his room). He couldn't make out the words, but he could hear his Uncle screaming and his aunt crying. Afraid that the two men would find him, Harry plunged under the blankets on his cot and tried to make himself as small as possible. When the door to his room was thrown open, he prepared himself to be pulled out of the small space by force. He hadn't expected the soft, comforting voice that came instead. The man had a voice that made him sound very strict, but Harry could hear kindness and understanding as well.

Severus gently led the boy out of the cupboard and into the well lit room, getting his first real look at the child. His expression darkened as he took note of the bluish-black bruise forming on the boy's left cheek and the short shallow gash near his temple. Harry was entirely too small for a boy who had just turned seven. As he looked closer he noticed that his cheekbones were sunken in, a clear sign of starvation. The clothes that he wore were not only dirty and torn, but were also several sizes too large for him and hung off of his bony shoulders. The boy's cheeks were flushed and his eyes unfocused indicating that he might have a fever. Severus, now furious at the clear signs of neglect and abuse narrowed his eyes. 'I'll make these monsters pay' he promised to himself.

Once Harry was out of the cupboard he looked up at the man, seeing him clearly for the first time. 'He's even taller than uncle Vernon' he thought in wonder, glancing at the man's obsidian eyes and glossy raven hair. Even in the light of the room, the man seemed shrouded in shadows reminding Harry of a ninja. The small boy grew nervous when the man narrowed his eyes down at and then averted them to the floor when he saw the anger on his face.

Harry wanted to cry. It hadn't even been a minute and already he had made the man angry. Uncle Vernon always said that he looked disgusting like his parents. 'Maybe the ninja man thinks I'm disgusting too. Maybe he won't take me away anymore because he knows I'm useless.' Tears stung Harry's eyes as he hugged himself tightly, trying to get rid of his sudden fear.

Severus realized his mistake too late and immediately regretted letting the anger he felt towards the Dursley's show on his face. His expression softened as he placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. When the raven haired boy flinched but otherwise kept his eyes on the ground, Severus reached out and lifted his chin until he could see his watery eyes.

"Mr. Potter I am not angry at you. I am angry at the condition we found you in and your relatives who caused said condition. I will keep my promise to protect you and if you let me I would very much like to be a part of your new family."

As soon as the words exited his mouth, Severus was prepared for rejection. He couldn't expect this child who had been hurt so badly by the people who were supposed to love him to trust a complete stranger. The man's eyes widened in surprise when in the next moment the young raven threw his arms around him in a tight hug. Severus gathered him close and then picked him up since he didn't think that the child could walk in such an emotional state.

With Harry in his arms, Severus surveyed the room for his partner in crime. He walked to the front of the couch and found both the walrus and the whale of a son, duct tape binding their hands, feet, and mouths. Vernon (who was still unconscious) had been carelessly thrown to the floor and had quite a few more bruises and cuts than just the wound on his head. Severus suspected that Lucius had decided to have a little fun with repulsive man. His nose and mouth were bleeding profusely, his face swollen almost beyond recognition. The obese child sat beside him, silently wailing and trying to twist out of his restraints but otherwise unharmed. Severus kicked the monster hard in the stomach and smirked as the blob of fat let out a grunt of pain.

The raven haired man walked to the kitchen, trying very hard not to jostle the young boy sobbing on his shoulder. In the kitchen he found Lucius standing over a quivering Petunia and watching her every move as she reluctantly signed the papers that would release Harry into their custody. Severus went to go stand by his partner and got a look at the woman's face. He lifted both eyebrows in surprise as he admired Lucius's handiwork. Running across her left cheek, from her nose to the edge of her face, was a long, deep gash. Blood dripped constantly from the open wound, staining her clothes along with the crisp white table cloth. His gaze traveled down to her duct tape covered mouth which had apparently silenced her screams.

When he turned his head, he was met with what he knew Lucius thought to be an innocent look. He returned it with his own chastising glare.

"Was this really necessary?" he questioned, hoping that this didn't create any trouble for the boss (or he would have their heads).

"She called the child a 'freak' numerous times, so I thought I would show her what a freak really is by making her into one. With that scar on her already hideous face, she will be ostracized by the perfect little society which she holds so dear to her." A cruel smile twisted the blonds face into something terrifyingly beautiful and Severus couldn't deny the spike of pleasure that ran straight to his nether regions at the sight of the gorgeous man, but this was neither the place nor time for that.

"And what do you suppose we do Lucius, if they decide to report our names to the police? The boss can't afford anymore of Dumbledore's interference."

"You have some of _that_ drug on you right? Just give them a little bit and come morning they won't remember a thing." Lucius replied with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

Severus scoffed at the idea with an insulted look on his face. "Do you have any idea how expensive those ingredients are or how long it takes to make just a single dose? To use it on these barbarians would be particular wasteful! I'm beginning to think that you have no respect for my beautiful craft."

Lucius rolled his eyes at the ravens rant. The man really did care too much about his precious little 'potions' as he called them. Turning to the man, he lightly slapped both of his hands to his face and smooching his cheeks together in order to prevent him from ranting any further.

"When we get back home I'll buy you all of the ingredients you need and then you can lock yourself in that lab of yours and work on your 'potions' all you want ok?" He asked as if speaking to a disobedient child.

Severus pulled his face from the blonde's grasp and grimaced in a way that Lucius knew meant he would pout about it later. He sighed but conceded that it was the best course of action. "Fine, then hold the child while I handle it".

Lucius's expression turned to worry as he inspected the young raven who had apparently cried himself to sleep. He might have done some pretty nasty things in his life, but never would be even consider harming a child. He clinched his fists at the thought of anything happening to his darling son. Only monsters could hurt something so innocent and pure and Lucius would make sure that they paid!

He carefully took the child from Severus's arms, cringing at how light he was. Severus took a small clear bottle filled with purplish liquid from his pocket and proceeded to pour a generous amount down Petunia's throat and then moved on to the son and husband. The drug quickly did its job, knocking the two conscious family members out. They would be lucky if they remembered their names by the time they woke up.

He quickly went back to the cupboard and scanned the small space for anything that seemed particularly precious to the boy. He didn't find anything that could be easily replaced and guessed that Harry had never been given anything valuable by his relatives. With one final sneer at what had once been 'Harry's Room', he closed the door to the cupboard with a soft click.

With the job completed (although a little messier then he would have liked), Severus grabbed the papers from the table and the two stalked out of the house unnoticed. He opened the door to the limo for his blond headed partner and then closed it after stepping inside. The limo pulled away from number four privet drive and headed for their next destination.

"Sev he has a fever!" Lucius's alarmed eyes locked with his as he pulled the child more securely onto his lap. Severus sighed as he rubbed his weary eyes and leaned back into the comforting coolness of the seat.

"Yes I know. He'll need to be checked over by Madam Pomfrey as soon as we arrive. We'll also have to put him on a strict diet and start feeding him nutritional supplements so that his body can heal faster."

Lucius stroked the small head of midnight black hair as he stared down at the bruised and wasted face.

"How could they do this to him?" He whispered in a broken voice, pain engraved on his face. Severus pulled the man into his chest with one hand and stroked his silky blond hair with the other. With the assignment now over, he would comfort his distressed lover as best as he could. He knew that when Lucius looked at this child, he probably pictured their own son Draco hurt and broken. The couple never imagined they would find such a weak and battered boy when they were given this assignment.

"I don't know Luc. He broke down in tears when I told him someone wanted him. He's probably always yearned for a real family. For someone to love and accept him, but instead those monsters kept him around for his money then treated him like a slave and a personal punching bag." His grip tightened on his lover's waist as he thought about the pain this boy had suffered and how it was so similar to what he had suffered.

Lucius gripped the arm holding his waist and looked up into his lovers face with determined eyes. "Well then from now on, we'll be his family."

Severus smirked at the blonds determined face, knowing that the he had practically adopted the boy already. "Yeah, and we'll be one big happy family" he said half-jokingly and half-serious. They sat in silence for the rest of the ride, reveling in the comfort of each other.

**So there it is! Chapter 3! If you liked anything about this chapter, have any ideas that will make my writing better, or any constructive criticism in general, then go ahead and click that button right below. Come on you know you want to! You'll get good Karma! And I'll update faster!**


	4. Chapter 4: Arrival

**AN: Hello again! I know you guys are ready for Harry to meet Tom but I promise that'll be next chapter. I hope this chapter isn't too confusing, especially the part about the estate, but don't worry if it is now, the full explanation is coming soon. Just to tell everyone cause I don't believe I ever said this, but this takes place in an alternate universe, which means that this doesn't take place in the UK or anywhere else in our world. I probably wont come up with names for my new world or anything so just keep in mind that it's not England.**

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**Guest #2: Cliffhangers are what I do best so expect a lot of them! ;)**

**Guest #3: Technically he is now since he adopted him.**

**T-Tsundere: Your review helped me out of my lazy Sunday mood and here the new chapter is! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 4: Arrival**

Severus stared out of the window at the hilly terrain as the other two passengers slept in peace beside him. Lucius had fallen asleep, with young Harry in his arms, almost immediately upon their departure. Severus knew the blond had to be exhausted. He had spent three days before this arranging all of the documents and validating the child's new adoption without hardly sleeping at all. The raven smiled as he reached down to tuck a strand piece of silky hair behind the blond's ear.

He glanced to the strained face of the young boy currently occupying his lover's lap. Reaching out to touch his forehead, he found that the fever had calmed down quite a bit. The extra sleep that he was getting right now was probably helping his body fight off the illness. However, they would still have to take him to Madame Pomfrey as soon as they arrived since they couldn't afford his condition growing worse.

Severus looked out of the window and found that they had reached their destination. He could just make out the top of the main estate where it lay, covered mostly by hills. It would take them about ten more minutes to get there (after all the property was huge!) and Severus knew that he should start waking Lucius now since it took the blond quite a while to return from his dazed state after sleeping. He shook his lover's shoulders, gently yet firm, knowing that no words would reach him in his dreamland. Lucius's head dipped from side to side as he murmured sleepily. After a few more minutes, the limo pulled up to the main gate of the enormous estate. Severus opened the window as two guards came forward to check the identity of the passengers and the driver.

"Welcome back Mr. Snape, sir!" the enthusiastic guard greeted him, eyes full of awe and admiration. The raven haired man gave the rookie guard his 'you-have-no-right-to-talk-to-me-peasant' sneer before rolling the black tinted window back up.

"That wasn't very nice." An amused voice sounded from against his side. He turned to the equally amused face and presented the blonde with his 'the-word-nice-isn't-in-my-vocabulary' glare.

"Well look who's finally awake" he replied.

"That nap was quite refreshing." The blond stretched his relaxed body as much as he could with the small boy in his lap. "So when we get home, I'll be ready to participate in some more _fun_ activities." The blond all but purred into his partner's ear.

"This is hardly the time" the raven replied, turning his head to peer out the window. To anyone else, it would seem as if the dark haired man had harshly rejected the blond, but Lucius knew better. He smirked as he noticed the slight red tinge on the tip of the man's ear and the glazed eyes which told him that his lover's mind was currently occupied with some rather inappropriate thoughts.

"But first things first, we have to get young Harry here to the hospital wing, and then we must present our report to the boss and then of course Draco will want some attention from us." The blond reminded, pulling the plug on all of his partners thought up fantasies. His lips rose into a devious smirk as he glanced at the frustrated look on Severus's face. Oh how he loved to tease his lover and get him all worked up, just to deny him the very thing he wanted the most. You could say it was his sadistic side rearing its ugly head.

The limo drove up the extensive driveway and Lucius watched as they passed the branch estates, including the one he and his son currently shared with Severus. The branch estates were all near the edges of the property, more for privacy than anything else, since they were hundreds of yards away from each other. There were three branch estates on the property, one for each of the main families who supported the Lord of the families (or the boss in this case). Each branch estate was roughly half the size of the main estate (which meant they were huge since the main estate practically took up a football field). Behind the estate, near the forest of trees that surrounded the property on three sides, were houses much smaller but still large enough to comfortably hold ten people. There were about a dozen of them lined up side to side in a resemblance of a neighborhood and closed off from the main estate and branch estates by high fences. The boss's subordinates and followers lived there along with their families.

They neared the gate to the main estate and were soon granted entrance. The main estate was made up of what used to be the first lords castle. Some parts of the castle still remained, but for the most part, it had been remodeled long ago to look like a regular, modern day manor. As the limo came to a stop in front of the main entrance, Severus took the young raven from Lucius and together, the two strode into the entrance hall. Severus turned to his lover and gave him a quick nod, knowing the boss would want their report as soon as possible, so they would have to split up. With quick steps, Severus turned towards the southern hall and began his journey to the hospital wing.

He came to a stop in front of two white doors, each with a red cross printed on the front. Without hesitation, he threw the doors open and walked into the large white wash room, grimacing at his surroundings (it was entirely too bright for him). He laid the small boy down on the first bed he could reach then turned around to survey the area for the old woman in charge.

Finding her nowhere in the room, he walked over to her personal office and knocked on the door briskly. He could hear rustling and after a few seconds the door opened to reveal an older woman with grayish hair in a long white nurse uniform.

"Oh Severus, what a surprise!" the woman greeted joyfully, stepping out of her office and closing the door behind her. "I was told that you would be away for a while on an assignment for Mr. Riddle. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Madame Pomfrey was one of the few people who could get away with calling the boss by his real name. She had refused to call him anything else since the day the boss had recruited her saying that she was too old and wise to refer to someone younger than her as such. She was one of the most stubborn women he had ever met and no amount of threats from the boss would change her mind. The boss, recognizing her as one of the best nurses in the nation decided to allow the blatant show of disrespect, if only to keep her in his services.

"Hello Madame Pomfrey." Severus greeted, bowing his head a little in show of respect. "I believe you can help me. I have a young boy with me who is in immediate need of your assistance."

Before Severus could finish, the old nurse was bustling over to the only occupied bed in the room. The raven haired man stood back as he watched her work, quickly examining the slim frame for each and every injury.

"Severus" the nurse called out, eyes still glued to her new patient. "I need you to get me some fever reducer from the cabinet by my office. Also some soothing salve for his bruises and of course some disinfect spray for this nasty cut." She instructed, fully intending to put the man's presence to good use. Severus went to retrieve the items mentioned and handed them over to the nurse. He intended to return to his place by the wall, so as not to obscure her work but was stopped when a wrinkled hand jutted out and pulled him back.

"Wait Severus, I need your help to remove his clothing. The boy obviously has a very high fever and I'd say it's from some sort of infection. This cut on his head is too fresh to be the cause and I can't see any other open wounds on the skin visible to me. I'll have to do a full body check in order to find the source."

Severus grimaced at the idea of having a front row view of the small boys emaciated form but walked up to the other side of the bad anyways. He was instructed to hold the boy up while the old nurse relieved him of his shirt, shorts and shoes. Severus was disgusted at how dirty, torn, and aged the clothing was as Madame Pomfrey handed him first the shirt then the shorts to him to put on the bedside table while she laid the sneakers at the foot of the bed.

Severus narrowed his eyes in rage at the boy's wasted and scared form. The boy's body looked like a blanket of skin had been draped over a skeleton. There were many old bruises and scars on his frame, one of the worst being what looked like a large burn mark on his upper torso. The skin in the middle of his tiny chest was raised, wrinkled and an entirely different color from his other skin. It started in the middle and then splayed out in all directions, giving the impression that someone had poured something extremely hot on him. No longer able to look at what must have been an extremely painful wound at one time, Severus's eyes wondered lower to the child's legs. With his socks and sneakers off, Severus could now see that his right ankle was twisted it an unnatural angle, indicating that the bone hadn't been set right. He remembered it as the ankle he had read about in the file and wondered why it hadn't been fixed when the child went to the hospital. His thoughts were disrupted however, when Madame Pomfrey cleared her throat from across him. Severus looked up only to find that the kind, joyful face of the elderly nurse had turned hard and cold.

"Severus, do you know who did this?" she asked, her voice deceivingly calm.

"Yes Madame I do. I'm afraid it was the relatives he was previously living with; his aunt, uncle, and cousin."

"I see." She replied, moving closer to the child in order to evaluate how badly the burn on his chest really was. She frowned as she noted that it was indeed a second degree burn. Having been a nurse for more than thirty years, she had seen her share of injures, but never had she seen something this terrible on someone so young. "Please help me turn him over so I can finish the examination." She requested, relieved that she wouldn't have to look at the burn as she could feel herself losing her composure. Severus reached out and grabbed the boy by his torso while Madame Pomfrey took his legs. Twin gasped echoed through the room as they took in the sight of the child's back.

The young raven's back was nothing but a web of long gashes that ran from his shoulders all the way to his buttocks. Some of them were old scars from long ago, indicating that this abuse may have been going on as far back as his toddler years. The more recent ones could be seen on his upper back and were already beginning to scab over. One or two of the open wounds however were an angry swollen red on the outside and a light purple on the inside, near where the new skin was forming. She had found the infection but feared that it was much worse then she had originally expected

The elderly nurse closed her eyes as she worked to get rid of her sadness and fury. If she was going to help this boy, she needed to be completely composed and lock her feelings away for the moment. Later on she would go into her office, throw things at the wall in frustration and cry her heart out for this young, broken child; but right now it was her job to heal him.

"Severus prepare yourself," she whispered, peering into the man's obsidian eyes "this is going to be a long night."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO 

Lucius nodded back at his lover before turning to the north hall and walking, in haste, towards the boss's office. He frowned in worry as he approached the tall, mahogany double doors. He was not looking forward to conveying this report. The boss would be beyond furious to learn how those monsters had treated the boy he had worked so hard to obtain. He shuddered as he thought about what his cruel boss would do to the boy's relatives once they were in his grasp. He could be sure that the injuries he had caused would pale in comparison to the physical and mental suffering his boss would inflict upon them. He knocked twice on the solid door before he was told to enter by a cold voice.

He turned the knob and stepped into the spacious office of the leader of the main estate. The blonde gave a short bow before turning to were the boss was, standing in front of his large office window, looking out onto the vast lands of the estate. Even filled with the light from the window illuminating his frame, Lucius could still feel a darkness around the boss that was hard to explain. It wasn't like the way Sev could melt into the shadows and bend them to his will. It was like the person in front of him embodied darkness, like it seeped from every cell of his body and consumed everything it touched. Lucius shivered at the image that crept through his mind of darkness lurking towards him and consuming him whole.

"Lucius" the man said in a voice equal to that of a snakes hiss. "Why is the boy not here with you? You could not possibly have failed the mission." He said it more as a statement that promised punishment if that were the case. Lucius shivered as he wondered how he could have possibly known the child wasn't with him without turning around.

"Of course not, we would never fail you." He replied, trying to figure out how to phrase the next part. He took a long pause before continuing hesitantly "However, I'm afraid I have some bad news."

**So that concludes Chapter 4. Next chapter is Harry and Tom (I'm so excited!). If you liked anything about this chapter or if you can think of anything I can approve on then please leave a review. If you don't then Slenderman will steal your soul! Don't have your soul stolen, just click the review button!**


	5. Chapter 5: Meeting the Boss

**AN: DRUMROLL PLEASE! PRESENTING HARRY AND TOM'S FIRST MEETING! Here it is! *Squeals in excitement* I'm so nervous right now *breathes deeply into paper bag***

**So a lot of you have been asking for longer chapters and I completely understand where you're coming from (really I do!), but if I wrote longer chapters, it would also take me longer to update. Instead of every few days, it would probably be every week :( Still I will try to make the chapters a bit longer for my lovely readers! **

**Guest #1: It's slightly longer...Please don't kill me! Think of poor little Harry!**

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**Kahome: merci beaucoup!**

**Miss888: I try. I hope this chapter surprises you although I'm sorry to say Draco wont be appearing just yet :(**

**ItsSarcasmIdiots: keep that excitement pumping!**

**thebellowingpixe: glad you like the pairing! It's one of my favorites :)**

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**Stardust of Orion: hope you enjoy this chapter then!**

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**Guest#3: *keys fly off keyboard as author types furiously* Your wish is my command!**

**Chapter 5: Meeting the Boss**

* * *

_Harry lifted his hands and traced the warm rays of falling sunshine as he relaxed beneath his usual spot under the large tree, waiting for the man and woman to show up. He didn't know why, but every time he was here, under this tree, they would appear at the blink of an eye, as if by magic. It would either be one of them or both of them together, speaking to him in silent words and gentle eyes. Lazily, he dragged his eyes shut as he eagerly awaited the sight of the beautiful redheaded woman and the strong raven-haired man. He was not disappointed when he opened his eyes to the sight of the couple, but emotion filled eyes told him that something was terribly wrong. They were no longer gentle and loving but anxious and full of fear. They spoke in what seemed to be rushed frantic words, but as usual, Harry couldn't hear a sound. As one, the couple looked over their shoulders, their eyes widening in horror. Following their line of vision, Harry's stomach twisted in dread as he finally caught sight of what was making the two so afraid._

_ All around them, from every corner, the sunny field was being swallowed by what seemed to be black mist. It twisted and turned in a demonic way as it consumed everything in sight. The kind couple turned back to him and held out their hands, beckoning him to come with them where he knew it would be safe. The young boy soon found that as much as he craved to take the hands extended towards him, it was impossible as the closer he got the further he was pushed away like the same side of two magnets. His terror grew as the dark mist lashed out at the couple, engulfing them completely, then quickly glided towards him. He hugged his legs in an effort to make himself smaller but soon, nothing existing except the growing darkness, winding and twisting like a living, breathing thing. _

_ Cocooned in the blanket of nothingness, Harry could only weep, wondering when the dark entity would decide to devour him as well. His head shot up in surprise when a slim, pale arm stretched from the dark and desperately grasped at the air, as if searching for something. The shadow rumbled in what seemed to be rage at the hand who dared to break through its defenses, before slowly creeping up the small boy's legs, apparently deciding now was a good time for a meal. The small boy twisted in terror, trying to fight away the tendrils of darkness, but for some reason couldn't look away from that hand. It looked so lost and hopeless, Harry didn't know how a hand could possibly look so sad, but for some reason it just did. Without any regard for his own safety, the small boy reached out and grasped the hand in front of him, fully intending to pull whoever was on the other side out of the dark. Almost instantly, the space between the two hands began to glow before turning to a powerful shine. Harry only had a moment to stare in awe at the light, before everything was immersed in white._

The young raven's eyes shot open, as he woke from one of the strangest dreams he had ever had. He peered up into endless white and for a moment thought he might still be stuck in his dream before he realized he was very much so awake and in a very unfamiliar room. Panic tore through him as he worked to keep his muscles relaxed and his breathing even, not wanted to alert anyone to his conscious state. He tried to recall why he could possibly be in this foreign room instead of his dark cupboard, his eyes widening when he remembered the dark haired ninja and the long blonde haired man who reminded him goldilocks, a character from one of the few books he owned. He allowed a tiny smile to slip on his face, remembering how the ninja had promised him a new home and family before holding him in his arms and taking him away from the Dursley's. Harry knew from experience that hope only caused pain, but he could do nothing to keep himself from thinking that maybe, just maybe, this time would be different.

He quickly closed his eyes as he heard a door open on the other side of the room, the clicking of heels becoming clearer as whoever wore them came closer and closer to where Harry lay. The woman, Harry guessed from the heels, sat something down on what must have been a table before proceeding to lift his shirt up. The small raven flinched in terror, used to the pain that came along with shedding his shirt, before he felt the hands pause then retreat from his torso.

"Ah, Mr. Potter you're awake." A cheerful aged voice rang out, replacing the former silence.

Harry opened his eyes slowly, cursing silently at the fact he had given himself away, to the sight of an elderly woman with long grey hair wrapped loosely around her head in a bun and warm brown eyes. Even the wrinkles on the women's face looked joyful, forming around her mouth and eyes as if they were only laugh lines. She wore nothing but white, from the small boat shaped cap on her head to the long button up uniform extending down to her ankles, to the white old fashioned heels on her feet. Harry attempted to sit up, remembering that it wasn't polite to talk to someone while lying down.

"Oh no Mr. Potter, please don't move." The woman said, pushing him back onto the bed with gentle fingers. "I was just to put some healing salve on that nasty burn of yours."

The small boy covered his chest in panic, recalling what Uncle Vernon said he would do to him if he ever let anyone see his wounds. He looked around the room with frantic eyes, trying to find an escape and yet too frightened to move. His heartbeat thudded against his chest, and his breathing sped up as he thought about what his next punishment would be like. The old nurse bent down on worn knees, as she quickly examined the boy's glassy eyes and heaving chest. He was having a panic attack and if she didn't calm him down soon he would start hyperventilating. With his long past of abuse, she feared that touching him would have the opposite effect.

"Harry? Harry its ok. Your aunt and uncle aren't here. No one's going to hurt you. You're safe." She repeated the phrases like a mantra until the child began to calm down, his eyes becoming clearer and his breathing returning to normal.

Harry lowered his eyes, shame taking the place of his terror. He often had these attacks at his uncle's house, usually right before his punishment when the man would sometimes tell him in sickening detail what he was going to do before painfully carrying out the deed. He couldn't stand letting his uncle see him in such a helpless state, but the thought that this woman now knew how useless he was too was too much to bear. He couldn't lift his eyes, in fear that he would see disgust instead of warmth in them. Therefore, Harry was very surprised when the words that came out of her mouth next were still full of warmth and kindness.

"Now dear, I want you to know that everything I said just now was true. Your relatives are _not_ here and no one here will hurt you like they did. You don't have to be afraid to show me your wounds, after all, as a nurse, it is my job to heal them." He looked up cautiously into the woman's eyes at the reassuring words and found them exactly the same, maybe even a little warmer.

"Oh look at me! Prattling on without even introducing myself first. My name young man, is Madame Pomfrey." She stated in a somewhat proud yet also humble voice.

For the next hour or so, Harry sat in the white room, listening to the woman chat on and on about every subject imaginable. She asked Harry dozens of questions about what he did and did not like, to which Harry tried his best to answer with simply yesses and no's. After that, she moved on to discussing all the people Harry would meet during his stay in what the woman called "The Estate". She talked too quickly for Harry to really grasp any of it but he remembered her warning to stay far away from the three main families, whatever that was. All while talking, she examined Harry's wounds, ignoring the boy's constant flinches from being touched, and covered them in some kind of minty smelling cream that made his skin tingle pleasantly. At his reluctance to drink the medicines she said would help him, remembering his aunt's cruel tricks, the nurse took the time to explain what each medicine was and waited patiently for him to take them all.

By the time she was finished treating him, Harry found himself growing founder and founder of the kind woman. Never before had anyone spoken so freely and cheerfully to him. Even the teachers at Harry's last school had been wary of the small child, having been told by his aunt and uncle about his "troublesome behavior". Comfortably listening to her chatter on, he couldn't help but hope that she would be a part of the new family the ninja man had told him about.

Harry had just finished nibbling on a few crackers he was instructed to eat by the nurse, when the man with gold locks, as Harry had dubbed him, entered the room. He walked gracefully over to where Harry's was sitting and looked down with a searching expression that made the small boy squirm.

"I hope you're feeling better Mr. Potter?" the man asked, pronouncing all of his words perfectly and precisely.

"Yes sir." Harry answered in a small voice, feeling somehow inferior to the regal man.

The man's cool grey eyes seemed to warm a bit at his simple answer. His lips lifted into a small yet sincere smile as he responded with a soft "I'm glad." Harry stared into the blonds smiling face, finding him oddly beautiful in the same way as the woman in his dreams.

"Why Hello Lucius! What brings you to my humble abode?" both man and boy turned at the cheerful voice, watching as Madame Pomfrey bustled towards them, giving the impression of someone much younger.

"I am here to escort Mr. Potter to the boss's office under his orders." Lucius supplied, slipping back into his cold business-like façade.

"I really would have liked Harry to stay here at least until lunch time, but if you must" the nurse looked reluctantly over to her young patient. "Make sure that he has breakfast afterwards though, those crackers aren't nearly enough! I'll have a menu drawn up and passed on to the kitchen staff so they know exactly what to feed him. Make sure he's brought back sometime this week so I can do something about that foot. Oh and pass this list of medicines on to Severus, I'm running a bit low in stocks." The woman listed off, handing the paper to the man before he could say a word.

The gold locks man looked at the nurse as if he had been highly insulted, Harry could only guess he wasn't used to being ordered around. Instead of arguing like he clearly wanted to do, the man stuffed the paper in his pocket and then turned to Harry, instructing him to put on his shoes and follow him.

Harry turned to the elderly nurse, reluctance in his eyes. He would much rather stay with the kind woman than go to some unknown place. Regardless, he slid from the bed and put his shoes on quickly, not wanting to anger the gold locks man, fearing that he would yell at him like he had the Dursley's.

"Thank you Madame Pomfrey." He said, giving the woman the tinniest of smiles. The nurse's face lit up before she walked over to place the gentle hand he had grown used to on his slim shoulder.

"You're quite welcome young man. Come back to the infirmary anytime you want ok?"

The young boy nodded his head at the invitation to return to the white room, relieved that he would be able to see the kind nurse again. With one last look into her warm, old eyes, he followed the blond man out of the room and towards whatever awaited him.

* * *

Lucius tried his best to slow his stride for the little boy walking beside him, but he just wasn't used to going at such a slow pace. He could tell that the child was pushing himself, walking as fast as he could in an effort to match him. The blond detected a slight limp in raven's walk when he used his right foot and wondered if this was what the old nurse had meant. He grimaced as he took in the condition of the small child. Even though he looked much better than when they had first brought him in, he was still too pale and wasted to be called anything but sickly.

"Um" he looked down as he heard the voice from beside him, small and raspy from underuse. "Excuse me but, were you…I mean did you…"

Lucius took pity on the small boy, releazing that he must not have spoken often in a house full of people who only wanted him as a slave.

"My name is Lucius Malfoy." He replied, giving the child one of his warmer looks "And yes, I was one of the people assigned to retrieve you from your former home and I must apologize for the ruckus I made."

"That's ok!" the boy quickly assured him, staring back down at his shoes as they walked through the long hallways. Assuming the conversation to be over, the blond returned his gaze as well, paying close attention to their path, not wanting to lead the boy astray. He was so preoccupied with trying to figure out the best way to get to the office, that he almost missed the soft "Thank you" that came from the young child. He stared down into the innocent green of raven's big eyes, his cool façade slipping off of him like water off a ducks back. A warm smile slid onto his face before he knew it and he could feel the boy worming his way inside of his usually cold and uncaring heart. Only two other people took residence there, and it seemed that Harry was quickly becoming the third. He responded to the child's pure gratitude with a "You are very welcome." Looking up, he realized they had already arrived in front of the mahogany double doors.

The blond pushed them open, knowing the boss wouldn't be in for a few more minutes as he was still at breakfast. He ushered the boy over to one of the cushioned seats in the office that looked much more inviting without its cold owner. He quickly explained to the boy that he would be meeting his new guardian now and he had nothing to fear, which was a bit of a white lie since the very presence of the boss was frightening. He regrettably informed the child that he had other business to attend to and would have to leave. The small boy looked at him with alarmed eyes which quickly faded to acceptance. Taking a chance, the blond reached out to stroke the raven's unruly hair. He was relieved when the boy only flinched a bit and then leaned into the comforting gesture.

"After you are finished, someone will come to show you to the dining hall so you can eat breakfast. I will come to retrieve you afterwards, and we will go into town to purchase a new wardrobe for you." He said, looking down in distaste at the child's attire.

The raven haired boy simply nodded his head, wishing that the gold locks man could stay and pat his head some more, it made him feel all warm inside. Lucius turned towards the door, hesitant to leave the boy but knowing that he must. As he exited the room he could have sworn he heard the boy say something about gold locks but thought nothing more of it.

* * *

Harry sat in the high back chair, nervously kicking his legs back and forth. It had been a few minutes since the gold locks man had left and he was growing more and more anxious. He wondered what his new guardian would look like? What would he be like? Would he be kind and gentle like the elderly nurse or beautiful and comforting like the gold locks man? It didn't really matter as long as he didn't look at him with disgusted eyes. Harry would gladly take as many beatings as he had to or any amount of hurtful words as long as his new guardian still _wanted_ him at the end of the day. He didn't really mind not being loved, love was too good for someone like him after all, but he just wanted to be useful. If he could only be useful be serving as a punching bag, then so be it.

Harry sat up straighter in his chair when he heard the soft click of the door opening. The clanking sound of shoes echoed through the room as they met the shiny hardwood floor. His heartbeat quickened as a shadow descended upon him from behind his chair. He knew his guardian must have been observing him, but couldn't find the courage to look up and do the same.

"Hello Harry." A cold calculating voice rang out, replacing the silence of the room. Paralyzed with nervousness, the small boy could do nothing but crouch his shoulders, trying his best to hide himself from his guardian's eyes. The shadow moved across the room to the expensive looking chair behind the tall desk and set down. "My name it Tom Marvolo Riddle, your new guardian."

Harry steeled himself, as he slowly lifted his eyes. A small gasp escaped him as his eyes widened in surprise. Of all the images he had conjured of his new guardian, he had never imagined this. In front of him with cold blood red eyes, pale skin and slicked back chestnut hair sat a boy that Harry could only guess was in his teens. He couldn't help but wonder why everyone called someone so young their boss? Could the teen really be their leader? He lifted his gaze to his unnatural red eyes. The image of a pale arm breaking out the cold darkness that surrounded him flashed in his mind before he sent it away in confusion.

"He-hello sir." He stuttered, unable to look away from the teens unique eyes. There was something about them. They were cold and ruthless yes, but Harry couldn't shake the idea that they were capable of great strength and understanding. He could feel a cool shadow around the teen that seemed to blend into his very being, but he couldn't bring himself to be afraid. It reminded him of the darkness of his cupboard, so much more inviting and safe than what awaited him in the light. This shadow was nothing like the one in his dream and Harry found himself oddly comforted by it.

"Did I not live up to your expectations?" he questioned the boy so small that the chair appeared to be towering over him. 'This was the boy?' the teen questioned in his mind with a sneer. 'This boy who's so small and fragile and weak.' Never had he imagined when he started the adoption process that it would take so long to complete. The fact that he was just a child at the time and had no relation to the toddler meant that he shouldn't be his guardian even now. It had taken a lot of time and money to legally gain custody of the boy, he had thought many times about just kidnapping the boy and being done with it. Dumbledore and his meddlesome ways had prevented that however and here he was six years later with highly abused and neglected child seated in front of him.

"No sir!" the boy was quick to assure, squirming in obvious discomfort. "It's just…you're a bit young…right?"

The red eyed teen smirked at the boy's question. He was indeed young, but he had no other choice but to accept this position since he had been the only one left in the bloodline to take over after his father's death. He frowned inwardly as he thought of the people who were still challenging him for his title and preventing him from gaining his rightful name.

"I am sixteen years old." He stated in answer to the child's indirect question.

"And you're the leader?" Tom looked into those innocent green eyes and couldn't help the small shiver of discomfort he felt at being the boy's new guardian. He had every intention of making the small child happy but no idea how to do it. The first thing on his agenda was to destroy these 'Dursley's' who had hurt the very boy he had been sworn to protect. 'Now making someone miserable I can do.' He thought with a smirk.

"Yes I am" he replied, folding his hands on his lap and sitting back in his chair.

"That's so cool!" the little boy exhaled in a breath of amazement. "It must be really fun!" Harry gave the teen the first real smile he had given anyone in a very long time. Tom blinked in surprise at the pure, radiant smile the child was presenting him with, silently squirming on the inside.

He wasn't used to this. Most people ran in fear at the mere sight of him, whether they knew of his position as the leader or not. Even back in his orphanage days, none of the children would come near him in fear of bodily harm. He sent most dogs fleeing with their tails tucked between their legs and cats wouldn't come near him. The only pet that didn't immediately reject him was his beautiful snake Nagini. In short, he had spent his entire life either put on a throne by people who adored his natural power or hated and ostracized by people who feared that same power.

And yet, here in front of him sat a young boy, practically shinning with innocence, who was not only unafraid of him, but beaming at him with the brightest smile he had ever seen directed at him. He didn't know whether to bask in the light or shield his eyes before they were burned to crisps.

"What exactly are you leader of?" he asked in curiosity.

Tom cleared his throat before thinking of how exactly he was going to explain that bit to a seven year old child? And why didn't he just spit it out. If this had been that demonic little spawn of Lucius's he would have just told the boy clearly what he did, regardless of his age. He would have done that to any other child, but this one just shone with purity. Not even him, as cruel and heartless as he was, could think about taking that purity away.

"Yes, well." He began, tongue tied for the first time in his life. "listen closely because I will not be repeating myself." He said looking down at the child sternly.

Harry leaned forward with such expectant eyes and such open ears that Tom knew by the end of this talk he would be sporting a _very_ real, _very _painful, and _very _annoying headache.

**Muhahahahahaha! Suprised? Tom should be on sixteen and pregnant! Please ignore that statement that made no sense. So anyways were you surprised? Do you like his age? Hate it? Let me know!**

**P.S: I'M NOW LOOKING FOR A BETA READER WHO LOVES SLASHY GOODNESS AND WHO WILL PUT UP WITH MY CRAZINESS! IF YOU FIT THIS DESCRIPTION, THEN PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP!**


	6. Chapter 6: Storytime

**Yume: here you go!**

**Keitsu Han'ei: *Smacks myself in head* Thank's for the correction! If I could only figure out how to change it...**

**Princess Mariana: Of course! There will be no shota in this story!**

**twilightobsession20: You ain't seen nothin yet! Get ready for more twists and loops then your stomach can handle!**

**Cherri101: And little Harry loves you for loving him!**

**PersephoneJackson123: Thanks so much! :)**

**rentamiya: Thankx**

**Guest#1: Aw! That's soooooo nice! :)**

**toolazytoobored: First of all thank you so much! And Thanks the offer but there are certain qualifications every author has to meet first in order to become one. I don't want to break any rules. :(**

**Chapter 6: Storytime**

* * *

"In order to explain my 'job', I must first give you a bit of a history lesson." Tom informed the child, sighing at the slither of a headache he could already feel forming in his skull. "More than a thousand years ago, the land in which our nation currently presides was home to a great war; a war to decide which of the surrounding countries would gain control of the land. You see, our nation was once very profitable, providing many natural resources and other commodities. The fighting between the four bordering countries lasted for decades and took countless lives. The leaders of each country, deciding that they were tired of the pointless killing, came to a truce, and agreed to share the land, separating it into four distinct regions. And so it came to past that Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin founded our nation of Hogwarts."

"So everyone became friends and stopped fighting?" Harry butted in, hoping that no one else in the story would get hurt. Tom turned one of his milder glares on the small boy for his rude interruption. Only after Harry looked down into his lap bashfully and offered a soft apology did the teen did continue.

"The fighting did cease, but the four regions were anything but friends. Each leader had their own opinion on how the nation as a whole should be ruled. Godric Gryffindor, afraid of rebellions, and wanting to protect the fragile peace surrounding the nation, proposed that they should create strict regulations and binding laws making it illegal for anyone to own weapons or even consume alcohol. His idea was to create a sort of utopia, without crime or violence; however, Salazar Slytherin disagreed…"

Before he could continue any further, a tiny hand shot into the air distracting him from his next words. The teen closed his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose, he wasn't used to being interrupted, ever, unless some poor soul had a death wish. He looked up to see that the hand was now waving back and forth in the air, the child was on the edge of his seat, his lips crushed between each other as if in an effort to keep the question from exploding forth.

"Yes?" the red eyed teen practically hissed, bumping up his glare a notch. This time however, the boy seemed completely unaffected, only presenting him with a pleased smile at finally being acknowledged.

"But wasn't Mr. Gryffindor's idea a good one? That way no one would get hurt and everyone could be friends."

"I was actually just getting to that part if you would be so kind as to let me continue." Tom said, mixing a cold sneer in with the glare, hoping that it would finally shut the boy up. He bristled when instead of shrinking back in fear like most people, the child let out a small giggle before informing him that he could indeed continue. 'A giggle? No one giggles at me!' he thought indignantly before continuing with his tale in an attempt to get it over with.

"Slytherin" he began in a voice much louder than before, quickly losing his patience "tried to warn the fool that this would only create more crime, as the people would start using underhanded methods to gain the illegal items. He proposed a more structured society, where everyone would be divided into classes, that way they would all have roles to play and more freedom to live their lives. Unfortunately, Gryffindor managed to convince the other two region leaders and his rules and regulations were soon set into place."

"For a short time, everyone complied with the new rules and the four regions existed in harmony, however, just as Slytherin predicted, the people soon began to crave what they were told they couldn't have. Gryffindor's silly idea of a crime-less nation did not come to pass, as many thieves and bandits saw the constant migrating as their chance to become rich. They would sneak into the regions undetected, and use the weapons they smuggled in to steal from the passerby's traveling to their new homes. This resulted in many injuries and even deaths since the travelers had nothing to protect themselves with. Likewise, the tense situation in the new nation had many people longing for alcohol, in order to sooth their frayed nerves."

"Three wealthy families from each of the three regions, except the region of Slytherin, took advantage of the peoples desires to protect themselves and drown in the sorrows of losing their belongings. They began to smuggling weapons and alcohol in from the outside and sell it in a sort of underground market. This market quickly became the most profitable, yet illegal business in the land, and before long spread to all parts of the nation. Soon, almost everyone was hiding an illegal weapon or going to underground taverns for a drink. Gryffindor tried to control the situation, but the trade had become too big for him to stop. Unfortunately, many other families, wanting to make a quick buck themselves, began to fight the three main families for control of the underground market, resulting in an increase of crime and violence all around."

"Slytherin knew that something had to be done, or the nation as a whole would be thrust back into a never ending war. He called a meeting between the heads of the three main families controlling the underground market, the Malfoy, Black, and Prince Families. He then proposed a deal, in which the three families would call a truce with each other, and work under him to restore order to the nation. If they declined his offer, then Slytherin would destroy them and then forcefully take over the market himself, so with little other choice, the three family heads accepted his offer."

"They worked together to crush any other person or family who tried to gain power of the market and soon the nation as a whole became more stable. Under Slytherin's instruction, they offered their protective services to defenseless travelers in exchange for their loyalty and business. The thieves and bandits were run out of the nation and the rate of crime dropped drastically. People began to call it the 'black market', after its dark and secret nature which reflected the leader so well."

"However, Gryffindor, being the fool he was, thought that it was his laws that had created the peace in the nation, and so enforced more regulations onto the citizens of Hogwarts. And so the black market has existed since then and even today caters to the needs and desires of not only the people of Hogwarts, but people all over the world."

Tom sat back in his chair, finally finished with the history lesson, and looked down only to find blank eyes staring back at him. He cursed himself for forgetting that he was talking to a seven year old boy, hoping that he wasn't going to have to go over again. The young boy looked down at his hands, scrunching up his nose in deep thought.

"Do you understand?" he asked trying to keep from rubbing his now aching temples.

"I think so." Harry replied, looking back up into the teen's red eyes "you're the leader of the black market and you have a whole bunch of people working for you and you sell things that people want but aren't supposed to have and you do it secretly." Tom blinked in surprise at the boy's accurate summary. 'It seems he does get it.' He thought, relieved that he could now move on to more important things.

"That is correct. Now that you understand the history of our nation and my position, I will tell you why I brought you here." The young boy perked up in his seat, obviously curious as to where he fit into the equation. "First tell me what you know of your parents."

Tom cocked an eyebrow at the almost instantaneous change in the boy's behavior. One second he was showing that innocent little smile of his, hanging off of the teens every word and the next he turned into what looked to Tom like a lifeless doll. His face became blank, his eyes turning cold and emotionless. He slumped down in his chair as if trying to make himself smaller and trained his eyes on the floor.

"My parents were worthless, lazy, drunken bums who had no place in our great society. They lived their disgusting lives as common thieves, stealing from hardworking normal people. They died in a car accident one day killing an innocent family along with themselves. Even before they died, they never wanted me because I'm useless and disgusting just like them. I must be punished for the evil things I will one day…"

Having heard more than enough, Tom slammed his fist on the desk loudly, seething in anger. Harry jumped at the loud noise, looking up at Tom with fearful eyes. 'How dare those Dursley's feed the boy such filthy lies.'

"I will not stand for another word of that revolting dribble to leave your mouth. Everything that those animals told you were lies. You father was born into the very prestigious Potter family and lived a life of wealth and luxury. Your mother, although of a lower status, was considered a child genius, and was coveted for her extreme intellect. Your parents met at the National Institution of Hogwarts, the most prestigious academy in our nation. James Potter immediately fell in love with Lily Evans and with time his feelings were returned. After graduation, they were wed, and your mother went on to become one of the most successful lawyers of her time. Your father however, refusing to take over the Potter business, ventured to find a more exciting job."

"He wasn't the most intelligent of men, but your father had an infinite amount of courage and strength and so became one of the best professional bodyguards in the business. My father, the former lord of this estate, recognized your father's talent and so offered him a job as his personal bodyguard; your father accepted. Although my father often complained about his loud, mischievous nature, James Potter took his job seriously. One day while my father was out taking care of business, a rookie member of a rival family tried to shoot him. Your father pushed him out of the way just in time and took the bullet himself. Fortunately, it didn't hit him in a vital spot and James Potter made a full recovery."

"If there was one thing my father couldn't stand, it was being in debt, and so he told James to ask for anything he wanted and he would get it for him. Your father asked for his wife and newborn son to be protected in case anything was to happen to him and my father agreed. Coincidently, a few months later, someone broke into Potter manor and killed both James and Lily but fortunately you were spared. My father immediately filed for custody of you, with every intention of keeping you safe, but was also killed shortly after. A few days before he died, he told me that if he was killed, then the life debt he owed the Potter's would fall to me. And so, I continued to legally fight for custody of you, but unfortunately I was only a child at the time and it took me quite a few years. But now that I am legally your guardian, I fully intend to protect you as was your father's last wish."

Tom could see the boy's small lip quiver as he tried to hold in his emotions. He prepared himself for the tears he knew were coming. What he did not expect, was the look of pure fury now etched on that tiny face.

"YOU'RE LYING!" the boy yelled before rocketing out of his chair and pointing an accusing finger in Tom's direction. "M-my parents were cheaters a-and liars! They d-did bad stuff and s-so do you! And t-they were disgusting!"

Tom could feel the last of his very thin patience melt away as he stood up from his chair and rounded his desk to stand in front of the disrespectful child. He could see the boy's eyes widen in fear, obviously regretting his little outburst, but it was too late; Tom was furious. Harry tried to step away from the angry teen, knowing he was going to get punished for sure, but stopped when his tiny legs hit the chair he was previously sitting in. Tom towered over the child now trembling with both fear and anger, looking down at him with blood red eyes that screamed power and authority.

"I do not care whether you believe what I have told you about your parents, however, you will not raise your voice at me in such an obnoxiously childish you. You will sit back down in your seat or I will have you tied to it, do I make myself clear?" tom stated in a voice that could freeze ice.

Harry fell to the floor in an ungraceful heap, hugging his knees to his chest and crying out in loud uncontrollable sobs. "B-b-but it c-couldn't be t-true!" he stammered, sucking in huge gasping breaths between every word. "I-If my parents w-were normal p-people then why couldn't _they_ l-love me?! Why w-was I p-punished? What d-did I do w-wrong?"

The anger in Tom's eyes was immediately replaced with understanding. The child must have been told from an early age that the reason his relatives were 'punishing' him was because of his parents crimes. To now learn that his parents weren't the disgusting monsters his relatives made them out to be, but were in fact decent and respectable, and he was punished for crimes they never committed, must have pushed the young raven haired child over the edge.

Tom crouched down, grabbing the boy under his arms, then lifting him up and setting him gently in the chair. He went back to his desk to retrieve a few tissues he always kept in his drawer and then returned to his kneeling position in front of the distraught child. He tried to recall what Lucius would do with Draco in these kinds of situations and began awkwardly rubbing the raven's back as he sobbed violently into his hands. Tom waited until the trembling had stopped and the tears had dried to only small hiccups every now and then to lift the boy's face up by his chin and delicately wipe the tear streaks from under his eyes. He slid the tissue down to the now stuffy nose, and instructed the child to 'blow'. Depositing the dirty napkin in the trash bin by his desk, he assumed it safe enough to return to his chair. Tom waited a few more minutes for the child to compose himself before clearing his throat, affectively gaining the small raven's attention.

"I do not know why your relatives were incapable of loving you and I can't promise you that I will ever be able to either. You see in all my years, I have only ever loved one thing. I do not know if I can ever become an older brother or father figure to you, or if you will ever be happy here. But what I do know is that I will do everything in my power to make you comfortable and keep you safe. I will care for until you are an adult and even after that. I will never intentionally harm you myself or let anyone else do so."

Harry let the words sink in, looking into the red eyes and finding nothing but sincerity and determination. The teen wasn't promising him a loving family or a warm home but a place where he could belong, and that was all Harry needed. A place where he was useful, wanted. He nodded at the red eyed teens words, wiping a few stray tears from his eyes.

"Now would you like to go down to the dining hall for breakfast, or would you rather have it here." Tom asked, knowing the child must be tired after such forceful crying.

"Here please, Mr. Riddle sir" Harry replied not knowing exactly how to address his new guardian.

"I detest that name." he informed the boy, sneering at his mother's maiden name.

"Then should I call you Mr. Boss" Tom grimaced at the thought of how ridiculous it would be to have a seven year old calling him boss.

"No, I believe that just Tom will be fine." He answered, reluctantly giving the boy permission to use his first name on a regular basis. The boy nodded in agreement, giving Tom one of those annoyingly sweet smiles. He picked up his phone before calling the kitchens and informing them to bring Harry's breakfast along with a light brunch and some tea to his office.

After their quick meal, Tom spent the next hour or so talking to the young boy in front of him. He was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't as tedious as he previously thought it would be. The raven didn't talk excessively but still gave enough detail that when he did say something that Tom wasn't bored to tears. He asked Tom dozens of questions about the estate and the grounds it sat on and the red eyed teen found himself patiently answering each one. He even asked the child a few questions of his own and quickly discovered that the raven took after his mother when it came to intelligence. The boy was very articulate for his age and even used clever word play from time to time while telling a story.

Soon the conversation dwindled until it came to a stop and Tom could tell the boy was moments away from falling into an exhausted sleep. His head would sink down every few seconds, his eyes drooping closed before he would pop back up looking attentive and alert, repeating the process a few seconds later. Tom smirked at the amusing sight, assuring his self that it was **neither **cute **nor **adorable. It took less than a minute for the small boy to lose his self-proclaimed battle, slumping into the comfortable cushion of his chair and falling into a peaceful slumber. Tom's sharp eyes softened around the edges before he took out some paperwork and began to write.

He smirked to himself as he remembered the earlier story he had told the boy, relieved that he had been able to turn the odds in his favor. How he had managed to make the manipulative, cruel Salazar Slytherin into the hero of the story he would never know. Everything he said had been the truth, only a tweaked, edited version of the truth. He hadn't thought it important to tell the young child that Slytherin had planned the whole thing from the start, hiring the thieves and bandits to steal from the travelers, indirectly giving the three main families the idea to start an underground market and then taking advantage of the chaos and gaining control of everything. He also hadn't revealed that they sold a lot more than just booze and weapons; in fact they dealt with everything from drugs to legally aged prostitution.

The black market was one of the most lucrative and widespread industries in the word, and he was the leader of it all. 'Well the unofficial leader at least' he thought, cursing his father's loose nature. He had respected his father's power and wisdom more than anything (enough to take on his bothersome life debt after he died), but thanks to his unfaithfulness, many ostracized Tom for not being a pure blood. He would not officially become the Lord of the Estate until the entire inner circle accepted him, and many of them were being quite difficult.

He was distracted from his train of thought by three consecutive knocks on his office door. He called out for the person to enter and was not surprised when an elegant blond came in with a somewhat panicked expression.

"Excuse me Boss, but I went to the dining hall to retrieve the boy and he wasn't there. I was wondering if you might know…" Lucius voice trailed off in relief as he caught sight of the small raven haired child sleeping peacefully exactly where he first left him. The blond was surprised when he looked up to find the bosses eyes fixed on the boy the expression there still hard and cold but somehow softer than before. As the blood red eyes traveled to the blond, Lucius almost thought he had imagined the change, as they became just as cruel and unforgiving as before.

"For now, take the child to his room so he may sleep. You can take him shopping in the town after he wakes up." Tom informed the blond head of house.

"Yes Boss." Lucius complied, leaning down to pick the small boy up. He positioned him so that he was resting on his hip, his head lying on the blonds shoulder and his thin arms wrapped loosely around the blond's neck. Lucius's eyes softened as he remembered holding Draco this way a year or two ago, but since then his son always declared he was too old to be 'babied' by his father.

"If that is all Boss." He said giving the young man a small bow of the head.

Tom dismissed the blond headed man with a quick wave of his hand, not bothering to look up from his papers. As the soft click of the door closing echoed through his now silent office, Tom couldn't help but feel as if the warmth that had moments ago filled the room had escaped with his new bright eyed ward.

**AN: So there you have it! the long explanation on what Tom does and why he adopted Harry...Did it make any sense? Are you completely lost? I really hope not! **

**Naughty Tom, twisting the story around so much! What else could he be hiding from Harry? Muwhahahaha! You'll just have to wait and see! Review please!**


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